North Western Railway
The North Western Railway (abbreviated as NWR) is the main standard gauge rail network on the Island of Sodor. From nationalisation on January 1st 1948 until privatisation in 1997, it was the North Western Region of British Railways. History The North Western Railway was formed in 1914 by the Government sponsored amalgamation of the three standard gauge railways on the island - The Sodor & Mainland, the Wellsworth & Suddery and the Tidmouth, Knapford & Elsbridge, the latter two already in the process of amalgamation - as a strategic railway for coastal defence against possible danger from Ireland. Albert Regaby, Lord Harwick, always maintained that his gift to the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, of a copy of the History of the Island of Sodor, which lays great emphasis on the importance of Sodor as an outpost in the direction of Ireland, was the deciding factor that led to the formation of the NWR. Lord Harwick was appointed Chairman, while Mr Topham Hatt, formerly of the TK&ER, was appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer, and the NWR began operating in 1915. Much construction work was needed in order to connect the three absorbed railways and meet the Admiralty's requirements. The NWR cut a single bore tunnel through the Ballahoo Ridge, allowing it to extend to Vicarstown, where it established its Administrative Headquarters and main Motive Power Depot. A rolling lift bridge, designed by Topham Hatt, was subsequently erected across the Walney Channel, finally connecting Sodor with the Mainland. Repair shops were also established at Crovan's Gate, while much of the routes of the former railways were converted from single to double track. In 1916, the NWR constructed a single line extension of the Main Line up to Arlesburgh by Government Order. The line was a key part of the NWR's obligations as a strategic railway, for it allowed the Admiralty to regularly patrol the West Coast of the island with armoured trains. It was originally intended to reach Harwick, but by the time Arlesburgh was reached, the immediate threat had passed and further extension was dropped. Apart from the four "Coffee Pots" of the TK&ER and the four 0-6-0 tank engines of the W&SR, the NWR when formed had no locomotives of its own. Throughout the First World War it was worked with locomotives and rolling stock borrowed from the Midland and the Furness Companies, such as Edward. It also acquired a tank engine from the LB&SCR named Thomas. By 1921 most of these locomotives had to be returned, and replacements needed to be found. This was a time of great difficulty for the NWR as with the end of the War the NWR's military value was ended and Government support withdrawn. This resultec in a locomotive crisis, and Mr Topham Hatt, now also a Director, was placed in charge of finding new motive power. In 1921, he attempted to buy a Robinson Atlantic, but ended up with Henry, an engine riddled with flaws, while in 1923 he acquired Gordon and James, both experimental prototypes. In 1923 came the Grouping, and the NWR was threatened with either closure or absorption into the LMS system. The NWR Board, however, led by their Chairman Lord Harwick believed in the Railway’s future and fought off the plans. In this they were ably backed by the new General Manager, Topham Hatt, and to such good purpose that by 1925 the LMS had been brought to terms, and the NWR was enabled to maintain its identity. The agreement with the LMS granted the NWR Running Powers across the Vicarstown Bridge into Barrow-in-Furness, and also began a joint suburban service between Barrow and Norramby, at the cost of the NWR curtailing a steamer service between Kirk Ronan and Dublin it had launched in 1920. Also in 1923, following an agreement with the Peel Godred Power Company, the NWR constructed a branch line from Killdane to Peel Godred to serve the Sodor Aluminium Works, using powers it had inherited from the S&MR. Due to the heavy gradients, the branch line is unique for being worked by electric locomotives. While the branch has provided steady revenue to the NWR, it resulted in the closure of the Mid-Sodor Railway. The following year, 1924, the NWR entered an agreement with Jabez Croarie to extend its Elsbridge Branch Line to Ffarquhar to service the Anopha Quarry, providing a new source of traffic. Routes * The Main Line * Norramby Branch Line * Kirk Ronan Branch Line * Peel Godred Branch Line * Brendam Branch Line * Ffarquhar Branch Line * The Little Western * Quarry Branch Line * Ulfstead Branch Line * Bluff's Cove Branch Line * The Loop Line * The Main Line Loop * Bluebell Branch Line * Misty Valley Branch Line * Killdane Branch Line * Coaling Plant Branch Line * Harwick Branch Line Steam Engines File:Thomas .jpg|Thomas File:Edward's Speech thumbnail.jpg|Edward File:OY7ar3gV.jpg-large.jpeg|Henry File:Gordon grinning.jpg|Gordon File:James and giant peach .jpg|James File:Percy Racers on the Rails 1.jpg|Percy File:Toby sparks embers away.jpg|Toby File:Duck GWR.jpg|Duck File:Donald_and_Douglas.jpg|Donald and Douglas File:Oliverbeach2.png|Oliver File:Billandbenclaypits2.png|Bill and Ben File:Harvey_the_Crane_engine.jpg|Harvey File:Emily the sterling engine.jpg|Emily File:Fergus.jpg|Fergus File:Arthur.jpg|Arthur File:Golden Murdoch .jpg|Murdoch File:PennPals5.jpeg|Molly File:Neville in a place.jpg|Neville File:Red Rosie.PNG|Rosie File:Whiff the Garbage Engine of Truth.jpg|Whiff File:Billy .jpg|Billy File:Screen Shot 2017-10-31 at 8.33.31 PM.png|Stanley File:PennPals7.jpeg|Hank File:Flora_Ice_Breaker.png|Flora File:The Suggestion Box Hiro.jpg|Hiro (formerly) File:Victor.jpg|Victor File:Ice-Breaker Charlie.jpg|Charlie File:Ferdinand.PNG|Ferdinand File:Scruff waste .jpg|Scruff File:Belleintheforest.png|Belle File:Screen Shot 2013-07-17 at 9.35.17 AM.png|Young Tucker File:Porter.jpg|Porter File:Timothypromotemplate.png|Timothy File:Marion15.jpg|Marion File:Glynn Baby .jpg|Glynn (formerly) File:Logan.jpg|Logan File:Ryan.jpg|Ryan File:Dustin Timberlake.jpg|Dustin File:Nia_Pulling_Trucks_Vision.jpg|Nia File:Screen_Shot_2018-06-01_at_5.38.18_PM.png|Rebecca Diesel Engines File:DerekandtheTwoFacedEnginesDiesel.png|Diesel File:Daisy is the best.jpg|Daisy File:BoCo in the grass.jpg|BoCo File:PennPals9.jpeg|Bear File:AuraofMenace60.png|D261 File:Diesel_199.jpg|D199 File:Screen Shot 2017-05-04 at 9.43.01 PM.png|Mavis File:Derek at Killdane and happy to be there.jpg|Derek File:Arry_Bert_Mr._mason.jpg|'Arry and Bert File:Diesel 10 looking cool.jpg|Diesel 10 File:Splatter_and_Dodge.jpg|Splatter and Dodge File:AuraofMenace27.png|Salty File:Screen Shot 2017-10-10 at 10.03.59 AM.png|Dennis File:Den_the_Diesel_Engine.jpg|Den File:Dart with trucks .jpg|Dart File:Sidney.jpg|Sidney File:Finest 3 the team Paxton Yong the team Pax.png|Paxton File:Norman is normal.jpg|Norman File:PennPals10.jpeg|Philip File:Hugo.jpg|Hugo Electric Engines File:CustomStafford.jpg|Stafford Other File:Doc_the_Ballast_Spreader.jpg|Doc File:Samson, BoCo, and the Man in the Hills Flynn.jpg|Flynn File:Winston.jpg|Winston Rolling Stock File:annieandclarabelle.png|Annie and Clarabel File:Henrietta.jpg|Henrietta File:Breakvan Toad.jpg|Toad File:Truck 1.png|Troublesome Trucks File:scruffey.png|S.C. Ruffey File:Fred.png|Fred Pelhay File:RicketyPAA.png|Rickety File:2010-02-28_17-44-21.jpg|Old Slow Coach File:Hey_it's_Rocky_the_Crane.jpg|Rocky File:Hector grins.jpg|Hector File:Florence and the Machine.jpg|Flora's Tram Coach Category:Railways Category:North Western Railway